Owens had also been pitching well in his first start of the season. �He had retired all but one batter over the first 4 innings, while striking out 4 batters. �He got into some trouble in the top of the 5th with a lead-off single. �After two outs, he gave up an RBI single, then an RBI double to Strasburg, and another RBI single. �That was all for Owens, who finished his day with 4.2 innings, 3 runs on 5 hits, no walks, and those 4 strikeouts. �Dustin Molleken came on in relief and ended the 5th with a fly out.
Strasburg retired the Curve in order in the bottom of the 5th, with another strikeout. �His final line: �5 innings, 4 runs (one earned), 4 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts. �He was still the pitcher of record when Molleken had problems in the top of the 6th. �With two outs, Molleken gave up two singles, then a 2-RBI double to LF Bill Rhinehart , to give Harrisburg a 5-4 lead. �Another run would have scored if it were not for some quick thinking on the part of Shelby Ford. �With Rhinehart on second base, C Jhonatan Solano grounded to third base, but Josh Harrison’s throw to first was wide and Shelby Ford had to chase it down. �Rhinehart had rounded third and headed for the plate when he saw the throwing error, but Ford got the ball quickly and fired to the plate, where Kris Watts was able to block the plate and tag out Rhinehart trying to score.
The Curve couldn’t get much going after that, as Senators’ relievers Erik Arnesen and Drew Storen held them scoreless. �Watts walked for the third time in the bottom of the 6th, and went to second on Harrison’s sacrifice bunt, but got no further. �Durham singled in the 8th and stole second base, but was stranded there too.
Molleken allowed a hit and had a batter reach on a throwing error by 2B Negrych in the 7th inning, but kept them from scoring. �Michael Dubee took the mound in the 8th inning. �He gave up a single, but that batter was erased when Alex Presley made a diving catch on a liner, then fired back to first base to double off the runner. �Dubee gave up one run in the top of the 9th on back-to-back singles, followed by a weird RBI ground out — the ball was hit towards first base, where it ricocheted off Shelby Ford’s foot and over towards Josh Harrison, who had moved over to play second base. �Harrison snatched up the crazy hop, then threw to Ford, who had recovered and made it to first to cover the bag.
The loss was the Curve’s first loss of the season. �Molleken was the losing pitcher.
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West Virginia Power 6, �Savannah Sand Gnats 1 (box)
While the Curve were losing for the first time in 2010, the Power were winning for the first time in the season. �Starter Quinton Miller pitched 5 innings and allowed only one unearned run on 3 hits and a walk, with 3 strikeouts. �CF Evan Chambers led the offense with 3 hits, including a 3-run homer.
Chambers’ homer came in the top of the 1st, before any outs had been recorded. �SS Benji Gonzalez opened the game with a walk, and 2B Jarek Cunningham lined a single into center field to set things up for Chambers.
Gonzalez made a fielding error to put the first runner on in the bottom of the 1st. �A stolen base and a fly out put the runner on third, and an RBI single brought him in to score. �Miller gave up a single in the 2nd, and another fielding error, this one by 3B Jesus Brito, put another runner on, but Miller got out of that jam. �He also got out of a jam in the 4th, after another single and a hit batter.
Brito made up for his error with a solo home run to lead off the 4th inning. �In the 8th, Chambers singled and stole base, and he scored on 1B Kyle Morgan’s home run.
Relievers Gabriel Alvarado and Ryan Kelly each pitched 2 scoreless innings for the Power. �Alvarado retired all 6 batters he faced, including 2 strikeouts. �Kelly gave up a lone single in the 8th but retired the Sand Gnats in order in the 9th.
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The Bradenton Marauders had a scheduled day off today.
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